In the past, the only way to take a punt on a company's share price was to buy its shares. Not any more. Over recent years financial spread bets and contracts for difference (CFDs) have grown in popularity. So much so that now even some of the old guard in stockbroking have expanded into these markets in an attempt to stem the accelerating trickle of trades migrating to the big spread betting firms.

Spread bets and CFDs allow you to bet on price moves in financial markets, whether dollar/yen swings or the costs of pork bellies. You can also bet on movements of individual shares, rather than owning the shares directly. Add to the mix the fact that both spread bets and CFDs are exempt from stamp duty on purchases and that there is no capital gains tax to pay on spread betting gains and the growth in this market is understandable.